By suggesting that Canada could eventually become the first associate member of the European Union (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed in her own way how much Europe wants closer, more ambitious, and more intense co-operation with Canada.
uncertain
Europe → suggest → Canada
At the same time, she stirred up concerns on both sides of the Atlantic.
asserted
she → stir → Atlantic
In Canada, there is strong opposition to transferring part of sovereignty to Brussels, whether it involves federal or provincial jurisdictions.
asserted
it → be → jurisdictions
And in Europe, it’s unimaginable that a country could enjoy all the benefits of the EU without the obligations that come with it, especially regarding financial contributions and regulatory alignment.
uncertain
that → ’ → contributions
The terms chosen by Prime Minister Mark Carney better express what it’s about: a unique and stronger alliance.
asserted
it → choose → alliance
That’s what both sides are aiming for, with the next big step being the Canada-EU summit taking place in Canada on Oct. 29 and 30.
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step → ’ → Oct.
The goal is to strengthen the Strategic Partnership signed in June 2025 between Canada and the EU, which also includes a security and defence partnership.
asserted
which → strengthen → partnership
This is the most comprehensive partnership the EU has ever concluded with a non-member country.
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EU → conclude → country
So, it’s about building the best on top of the best, to make progress in all key areas mentioned by Prime Minister Carney in his Strasbourg speech: trade, investment, defence and security, scientific and academic co-operation, mobility, diploma recognition, AI and its attendant technologies, critical minerals, financial services, payment systems, clean energy, space, quantum technology, vaccines and satellite communications and the Arctic.
asserted
it → ’ → speech
The increase in exchanges between Europe and Canada is already being felt in concrete ways.
asserted
increase → feel → ways
French companies (SNCF, Keolis, and Systra) are involved in developing Canada’s first High-Speed Train.
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companies → involve → Train
A German-Norwegian consortium (TKMS) is building Canada’s new fleet of twelve submarines.
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consortium → build → submarines
The French company Alstom will manufacture 313 train cars to replace Via Rail’s fleet.
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company → manufacture → fleet
The Canadian mining company Lumina Metals is engaged in a major copper and silver project in western Poland.
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company → engage → Poland
The momentum is undeniable; we need to speed it up, widen it, and make it last for the long term.
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it → need → term
We are at a time in history when Europeans and Canadians feel an exceptional need to come closer to each other.
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Europeans → feel → other
This need for rapprochement is due, as we well know, to our disapproval of the erratic and unfriendly behaviour, not to say more, of the Trump administration.
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we → know → administration
Then Europe appears to us as a vital political and economic ally at a time when we really need it.
asserted
we → appear → it
And Canada stands out, for many Europeans, as the “good” country in North America, the one you can rely on, that believes in win-win agreements, that keeps its word, the most European of non-European countries.
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that → stand → countries
Yet, at this crucial stage of our relationship with Europe, I feel the need to emphasize that our goal to get closer to Europe should go far beyond the Trump era.
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goal → feel → era
We need to learn, in a lasting way, to be less dependent on the United States, both in terms of military and security matters, and economically and commercially.
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We → need → matters
It is now, while our rapport with Europe is so strong and our Prime Minister enjoys such an exceptional reputation there, that we Canadians need to develop effective working habits with this continent, with the 27 countries of the European Union, and beyond.
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Canadians → enjoy → Union
Let’s suppose that in two years the American people elect a more normal president, as friendly toward Canada as all of Donald Trump’s predecessors have been since at least the early 20th century.
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all → let → century
Then the insults against our country, the blatant extortion, the threats of annexation, and the trade war will end.
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insults → end → annexation
But customs barriers and trade disputes will remain, and protectionist pressures will continue in the United States.
asserted
pressures → remain → States
Surely, the unhealthy sympathies for hostile dictators, the threats to withdraw from NATO, the refusal to help Ukraine — all these aberrations will stop — but the United States will still want to pivot toward the Asian front and ask Europe and Canada to take more responsibility for their own defence.
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States → withdraw → defence
We’ll still have a stake in not putting all our eggs in one basket.
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We → have → basket
The famous Davos speech by Prime Minister Carney was addressed to the whole world, but our prime minister also sent a clear message to us Canadians: we need to take our economic and geostrategic diversification goals seriously.
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we → address → goals
We’ve been talking about it since Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
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We → talk → Trudeau
This time, we must get it right.
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it → get → ?
We need to significantly strengthen our ties with Latin America, the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa — and with Europe.
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We → need → Europe
Europe also has an interest in reinforcing its ties with us for the long term, beyond the current difficulties caused by the hostility of the Trump Administration.
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Europe → have → Administration
Of course, Europeans are drawn to us because of the strong dislike they feel toward Trump.
asserted
they → draw → Trump
One can see it in the polls, or in the fact that it took the European Parliament a whole year just to barely and reluctantly approve the 15-0 deal (the US imposes 15 per cent tariffs on the EU with no reciprocity) negotiated by President Von der Leyen.
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US → see → Leyen
Trump regularly threatens to break this agreement, in order to put pressure on Europe regarding Greenland, which he dreams of annexing, or to force Europeans to back him in his war against Iran.
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he → threaten → Iran
The U.K. government is also tasting this medicine, as Trump threatens them, if they don’t increasingly align with his views, to support his Argentine ally Milei regarding the Falkland Islands issue.
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they → taste → issue
But Canada and the EU’s relationship with the U.S. also differs.
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relationship → differ → U.S.
For the EU, the American market doesn’t account for three-quarters of foreign trade like it does for Canada, but rather about a fifth.
asserted
it → account → Canada
So, trade issues are seen as less crucial there than for us, since we’re the country in the world whose economy is most closely tied to that of the United States.
asserted
economy → see → States
On the other hand, the massive U.S. military support, their steadfast presence in NATO, and their unwavering backing of Ukraine are seen in Europe as vital, existential issues, especially in the eastern part of the continent.
asserted
support → see → continent
…and 37 more, not listed.
The Aporia
